Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Alabama

Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Greene County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 67 counties in 2023, at 35.9%. Shelby County had the lowest, at 6.9%. The median was 17.7% and the figure for Alabama was 15.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest35.9Greene County
Lowest6.9Shelby County
Median17.767 counties
Alabama15.6History

Map of counties, 2023

Autauga County: 10.7 %Baldwin County: 10.5 %Barbour County: 21.9 %Bibb County: 20.5 %Blount County: 14.1 %Bullock County: 25.7 %Butler County: 21 %Calhoun County: 17.5 %Chambers County: 15.5 %Cherokee County: 14.5 %Chilton County: 13.6 %Choctaw County: 19.5 %Clarke County: 20.5 %Clay County: 16.6 %Cleburne County: 13.2 %Coffee County: 17.6 %Colbert County: 16.9 %Conecuh County: 27.6 %Coosa County: 11.6 %Covington County: 18 %Crenshaw County: 16.2 %Cullman County: 13.9 %Dale County: 18.7 %Dallas County: 29 %DeKalb County: 20.4 %Elmore County: 10.3 %Escambia County: 21.2 %Etowah County: 17.1 %Fayette County: 18.7 %Franklin County: 17.4 %Geneva County: 19.1 %Greene County: 35.9 %Hale County: 23.9 %Henry County: 15.8 %Houston County: 18 %Jackson County: 16.8 %Jefferson County: 16.3 %Lamar County: 15.1 %Lauderdale County: 13.6 %Lawrence County: 13.7 %Lee County: 18.9 %Limestone County: 10.1 %Lowndes County: 29.6 %Macon County: 22.1 %Madison County: 10.5 %Marengo County: 22.6 %Marion County: 16.9 %Marshall County: 16.3 %Mobile County: 16.3 %Monroe County: 22.6 %Montgomery County: 19.3 %Morgan County: 13.6 %Perry County: 31.2 %Pickens County: 22.6 %Pike County: 23.4 %Randolph County: 18.4 %Russell County: 22.3 %St. Clair County: 11.2 %Shelby County: 6.9 %Sumter County: 28.1 %Talladega County: 17.7 %Tallapoosa County: 15.2 %Tuscaloosa County: 16.7 %Walker County: 18 %Washington County: 18.5 %Wilcox County: 29 %Winston County: 19.5 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 16
  • 16 to 18
  • 18 to 19
  • 19 to 23
  • 23 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2023

Greene County: 35.9 %Greene County35.9Perry County: 31.2 %Perry County31.2Lowndes County: 29.6 %Lowndes County29.6Wilcox County: 29 %Wilcox County29Dallas County: 29 %Dallas County29Sumter County: 28.1 %Sumter County28.1Conecuh County: 27.6 %Conecuh County27.6Bullock County: 25.7 %Bullock County25.7Hale County: 23.9 %Hale County23.9Pike County: 23.4 %Pike County23.4Monroe County: 22.6 %Monroe County22.6Marengo County: 22.6 %Marengo County22.6Pickens County: 22.6 %Pickens County22.6Russell County: 22.3 %Russell County22.3Macon County: 22.1 %Macon County22.1Barbour County: 21.9 %Barbour County21.9Escambia County: 21.2 %Escambia County21.2Butler County: 21 %Butler County21Clarke County: 20.5 %Clarke County20.5Bibb County: 20.5 %Bibb County20.5DeKalb County: 20.4 %DeKalb County20.4Choctaw County: 19.5 %Choctaw County19.5Winston County: 19.5 %Winston County19.5Montgomery County: 19.3 %Montgomery County19.3Geneva County: 19.1 %Geneva County19.1Lee County: 18.9 %Lee County18.9Dale County: 18.7 %Dale County18.7Fayette County: 18.7 %Fayette County18.7Washington County: 18.5 %Washington County18.5Randolph County: 18.4 %Randolph County18.4Covington County: 18 %Covington County18Houston County: 18 %Houston County18Walker County: 18 %Walker County18Talladega County: 17.7 %Talladega County17.7Coffee County: 17.6 %Coffee County17.6Calhoun County: 17.5 %Calhoun County17.5Franklin County: 17.4 %Franklin County17.4Etowah County: 17.1 %Etowah County17.1Colbert County: 16.9 %Colbert County16.9Marion County: 16.9 %Marion County16.9Greene County: 35.9 %Greene County35.9Perry County: 31.2 %Perry County31.2Lowndes County: 29.6 %Lowndes County29.6Wilcox County: 29 %Wilcox County29Dallas County: 29 %Dallas County29Sumter County: 28.1 %Sumter County28.1Conecuh County: 27.6 %Conecuh County27.6Bullock County: 25.7 %Bullock County25.7Hale County: 23.9 %Hale County23.9Pike County: 23.4 %Pike County23.4Monroe County: 22.6 %Monroe County22.6Marengo County: 22.6 %Marengo County22.6Pickens County: 22.6 %Pickens County22.6Russell County: 22.3 %Russell County22.3Macon County: 22.1 %Macon County22.1Barbour County: 21.9 %Barbour County21.9Escambia County: 21.2 %Escambia County21.2Butler County: 21 %Butler County21Clarke County: 20.5 %Clarke County20.5Bibb County: 20.5 %Bibb County20.5DeKalb County: 20.4 %DeKalb County20.4Choctaw County: 19.5 %Choctaw County19.5Winston County: 19.5 %Winston County19.5Montgomery County: 19.3 %Montgomery County19.3Geneva County: 19.1 %Geneva County19.1Lee County: 18.9 %Lee County18.9Dale County: 18.7 %Dale County18.7Fayette County: 18.7 %Fayette County18.7Washington County: 18.5 %Washington County18.5Randolph County: 18.4 %Randolph County18.4Covington County: 18 %Covington County18Houston County: 18 %Houston County18Walker County: 18 %Walker County18Talladega County: 17.7 %Talladega County17.7Coffee County: 17.6 %Coffee County17.6Calhoun County: 17.5 %Calhoun County17.5Franklin County: 17.4 %Franklin County17.4Etowah County: 17.1 %Etowah County17.1Colbert County: 16.9 %Colbert County16.9Marion County: 16.9 %Marion County16.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Greene County35.9+3 pts
2Perry County31.2-1.6 pts
3Lowndes County29.6+4.1 pts
4Wilcox County29+2.3 pts
5Dallas County29+1.9 pts
6Sumter County28.1-2.3 pts
7Conecuh County27.6+9.2 pts
8Bullock County25.7-2.3 pts
9Hale County23.9-1.1 pts
10Pike County23.4-0.2 pts
11Monroe County22.6-0.3 pts
12Marengo County22.6+1.1 pts
12Pickens County22.6+0.2 pts
14Russell County22.3+0.2 pts
15Macon County22.1-2.9 pts
16Barbour County21.9-2.2 pts
17Escambia County21.2-0.6 pts
18Butler County21-0.1 pts
19Clarke County20.5-1.8 pts
20Bibb County20.5-0.1 pts
21DeKalb County20.4+0.1 pts
22Choctaw County19.5+0.4 pts
23Winston County19.5+1.3 pts
24Montgomery County19.3-0.3 pts
25Geneva County19.1-1.8 pts
26Lee County18.9+0.4 pts
27Dale County18.7+1.2 pts
28Fayette County18.7-3.5 pts
29Washington County18.5+2.6 pts
30Randolph County18.4-1.5 pts
31Covington County18-0.7 pts
31Houston County18+0.2 pts
33Walker County18+1.6 pts
34Talladega County17.7-1 pts
35Coffee County17.6+1.3 pts
36Calhoun County17.5-0.6 pts
37Franklin County17.4+0.8 pts
38Etowah County17.1+1.2 pts
39Colbert County16.9+1 pts
40Marion County16.9+0.4 pts
41Jackson County16.8-1.8 pts
42Tuscaloosa County16.7-0 pts
43Clay County16.6-1 pts
44Jefferson County16.3+0.5 pts
45Marshall County16.3-0.3 pts
46Mobile County16.3-1.3 pts
47Crenshaw County16.2+1.3 pts
48Henry County15.8+0.3 pts
49Chambers County15.5-2.4 pts
50Tallapoosa County15.2-1.6 pts
51Lamar County15.1-0.3 pts
52Cherokee County14.5+0.3 pts
53Blount County14.1-0.1 pts
54Cullman County13.9+0.9 pts
55Lawrence County13.7-2.1 pts
56Lauderdale County13.6+0.4 pts
57Chilton County13.6-0.8 pts
58Morgan County13.6-0.2 pts
59Cleburne County13.2+0.3 pts
60Coosa County11.6+0.6 pts
61St. Clair County11.2+0.3 pts
62Autauga County10.7-0.7 pts
63Baldwin County10.5+0.3 pts
64Madison County10.5-0.2 pts
65Elmore County10.3+0.7 pts
66Limestone County10.1-1 pts
67Shelby County6.9+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_alabama_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/alabama-counties?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Alabama by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Greene County, with 35.9% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Shelby County, with 6.9% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Alabama: more rankings